Reading this, it sounds like it will be more of the same then. The exact problem with the power ups is thay they AREN'T random. They are deliberate. The guy in the back will always get the super power ups and the guy in front will always get banana peels or green shells. Thats the whole problem! So him saying that the powerups are not random just tells me its more of the same. Game designers taking the skill out of a racing game. True randomization of the power ups will remedy the problem most players are saying they have with the game. But, it will create imbalance between good players and bad players. So do what most people on here are saying, make different game modes, "Advanced" where powerups are randomized and "Balanced" where powerups are not randomized. At leeast players can then play competitively or just for fun with a youger sibling or beginner.

I also agree with some earlier comments. Get rid of the blue shell or modify it so a truly skilled player can avoid it like the swarm in Sonic All Star Racing Transformed. And give them an achievement for avoiding it too. The game designers can make it tough to avoid. Throw some balancing on there. But make it avoidable so you dont feel robbed if you cant avoid it and drop to 2nd place because of it.

@Technosphile I respect your opinion. And some of those fringe games you mentioned WERE stinkers indeed. But I think Konami wanted him to take the series in the directions that he could not. And where he could not, the 2nd parties could. He pretty much admitted it. Konami just asked him to take the series into directions where he was not comfortable or where they shouldn't have gone anyway. I fault Konami for that more than IGA. Any good coach will design their offense or defense around the strength of their allstar players. And if they dont have the players for a hole in their scheme, they'll look to the draft or free agency.

But I have to disagree on the DS versions after SotN. Those are among my most favorite games of all time, not just to mention in the CV series. As a fan of those games, I'm very much looking forward to him getting back to the style of game that hes really good at.

Honestly, from a completely selfish perspective, I really don't care if he's a one trick pony. If he's great at making only that one kind of Metroidvania game, if its my favorite, I'll buy the body of his work. There are so many other great and talented developers out there to make other great games. If he wants to make what he knows he excels at, let him! We can get our fix of other kinds of games from other developers. I kinda think that's what he was getting at.

A higher res 2D sprite-based Metroidvania (like the DS Castlevanias) on the 3DS with breathtaking 3D planes and lush pixel art? IGA, if you make it, we will fund it!

Serioulsy, doesn't have to be a barbarian, or vampire hunter. Im ready for a fresh pallet anyway. Even sci fi, D&D or Metal Slug meets Metroidvania. Doesnt matter to me. I've just been so craving the discovery/rewards/progression mechanics of a good metroidvania for sooooo long!

DO IT IGA! DO IT NOW!! GET TO DA CHOP... <oops... sorry. The excitement >

@GooRoo I think thats the problem. 1st party Nintendo releases are usually snapped up very quickly in the US on launch day. I had a hard time finding DKCTF within the first week. NA seems to be a bit different in that securing pre-orders with no premiums and selling through initial orders is not an issue... so why the extra expenses? From a financial POV.

But I do agree. I wish they would throw their faithful a bone with yhese great bonuses. I WANT THOSE CARDS!!!!

@Tryken I agree with you 100%. I think the problem is that some people just like to hear themselves talk or like to sound smarter than they really are or like to show how "adult" they are by being "PC". Or maybe all of the above. This topic is a very myopic view of a much larger topic that spans all media. And it's one that we, as human beings with certain urges and programming in our DNA, simply prefer to buy if we have a choice of pretty over plain. It's the same thing as calling someone a snob for preferring a nicely cooked meal over a can of brussel sprouts. No different folks... next topic.

@KarateKid1234 The only thing that foils this theory (which saddened me) is that Felix referred to Mario as "Mario" when he thought he was knocking at the penthouse door (when it was really Ralph). Felix doesn't seem like the type to call his dad by his first name.

@The_Fox Well... as I mentioned in my post, just turn the TV on, go to the movies or pick up any one of the trash rags in your supermarket and you will probably start weeping where you stand. Because the issue is much bigger than video games. The problem is that the reason that we BUY this stuff is BECAUSE of our humanity. Our DNA is written to desire certain physical traits in choosing out mates. If you want to blame someone, blame God or the Big Head in the sky for wiring us this way (same for women towards men, BTW - but we don't talk about that because games are still predominantly male). Also, if you want to blame someone, blame ourselves for not buying games, movies, shows, magazines that show plane Jane with her acne and pooch are the main focus of the product.

This is an old topic and gets older and crustier every time I read it. This debate has been going on since boobs evolved from a pallet of 256 colors to a bunch of triangles. But the argument is even older than that. It's been argued the same with movies, TV and any other pop culture were "perfection" is delivered to a consumer that demands no less. The proportions in gaming women characters vary form thin and lithe to athletic to bombshell - just as in movies, TV, cartoons and reality TV. But the same goes for men. No one talks about the impossibly muscled men no shorter than 6'4" that are constantly delivered through not only TV, etc. - but games too. Look at the male heroes. And like women, not ALL mae characters are impossibly muscled and fit. But the vast majority are still very handsome and very, very fit. More so than probably 80% of the world's populace.

So if we're going to continue to talk about this tired subject, why don't we open it up to not just objectification of women, but the bamboosling of the general public by multiple industries - trying to sell us a Utopian view of life. And if we DO argue this, then it's very simple... history has shown time and time again that we don't buy less than perfection... we may want to debate it. But... sorry folks... the same people crying about the objectification of women in games (TV, movies, etc.) will be the first to walk right past a product where average, overweight Plain Jane with bad skin, nappy hair and crooked teeth is the main focus - unless it's comedy. Would love to put this topic to rest finally.

@mystman12 I agree! Good Luck Charlie was genuinely funny. I was always surprised that never was made into a primetime show. In comparison to all the other bubble gum garbage on Disney and Nick, that show stood on its own.

I've also been thinking a lot about Nintendo properties on mobile devices. I had been a very strong opponent to playing classic games on mobile devices because of the lack of control. Until I found these: www.phantomgp.com. they actually work very well!

But aside from that, who says Nintendo has to bring their franchises to mobile in the form of action or platform games? There are tons of quality games on mobile like puzzle, puzzle/rpg, physics based games etc that would be greatly enhanced with Nintendo's IP and the love and care they put into building quality gaming experiences! I would love to see some Dr. Mario, or Yoshi or Mario & Luigi puzzle/RPG games. Or how about Pikmin? With an all-touch control scheme and the care and quality Nintendo are known for, I could totally see buying these games made with mobile platforms strengths in mind as opposed to fitting a square peg in a round hole.

My lord people... WAY too much over analysis going on here. Obviously someone on the creative staff just wanted to throw a shout out to classic gaming and make the character a little more "current" by putting it on a mobile device as opposed to a handheld. No big deal. I watched this episode and thought it was a really cool nod, shoddy control scheme and all. They are in the business of making TV, not designing UI. The nod was cool enough.

@aaronsullivan I dispute those figures strongly. I don't believe Wii U has hit 3 million yet. Correct me if I'm wrong. But PS3 sold 600,000 in 2 days. They far Nintendo's Wii U in the same span of time. And the XBOX 360 sold 1.5 million between November and the end of the year that first year.

But I do agree with you on the sentimental point of view. I totally agree. I remember very fondly the SNES, N64 and even national launch of the NES! The Wii U was also that way for me the first day I got it. But post launch has been disappointing with all the negativity. It's frustrating as a fan of the company and the games. My only fear is them stepping away from the platform - which I think they will. But I do have confidence that their next offerings will be better than the previous. I'm optimistic about Nintendo's future. This platform seems to be a set-back. And they probably should take a hard, long honest look at it. I'm sure they already are.

@cusman I agree 100%. Iwata san stated earlier that he didn't think price was an issue. He was right. But the other way. People will pay more if they see better value. The hardware needed to provide more of what people were looking for in a next gen system. To most of the gaming public outside of this discussion group, Wii U is not Next Gen (right or wrong - I believe it's wrong). So they opted for the more powerful machines released last Christmas. It's pretty cut and dry.

@AugustusOxy Guys... NO ONE HAS GAMES for the first year. That's why I didn't panic the first year. It's been this way since the Sega Genesis. Having no games has no automatic correlation to hardware sales. Both PS3 AND XB360 fared WAY better than the Wii U is doing right now. Trust me, I don't forget. I've been through each launch since the NES in '85. XBOX 360 sold 1.5 million units from its release in November 2005 through the end of the year ALONE! The PS3 sold 600,000 units in the first 2 days of release outside of Japanese territories alone!

Don't rely on anecdotal stories like grumpy people about price and lack of games when making points because most of the time they aren't true indicators of product moving through the distribution channels. Those systems had issues - like all new systems. But they SOLD. Data and facts don't lie. Look the numbers up for yourselves.

At the end of the day, all of this doesn't matter because Nintendo themselves know they are in trouble with the platform and they know way better than any of us. The head honchos have taken paycuts. This is a pretty drastic step - especially for a Japanese company and Japanese executives. It's serious and unlike any of their major platform releases in their history. Stop living in denial and maybe join the conversation objectively.

@Yorumi I don't get your logic at all. People NOW are paying $150 to $250 MORE than the Wii U for PS4s and XB1s and you can't find them. When the PS3 came out, there were $599 options and they sold out for months! The XB360 was also $399 and too sold out for months. Both became very successful machines. I never mentioned PC gaming. Cost to entry is at least $1000 for a barebones gaming PC. I'm comparing apples to apples with the PS3/4 and XB360/XB1. Your point?

@gamerphil07 I would argue that Nintendo already HAS the best lineup of AAA titles even back at Christmas of the competition. They had the highest rated games last Christmas in SM3DW and The Windwaker and Pikmin. We were saying the same thing last year about those games before they came out. They were incredible games and we all (including Nintendo) put all our chips on those games to break the WiiU out - how soon we forget. It didn't happen. Now we're looking at the next batch of games. I don't see it. The consumer has voted with their dollars with some VERY compelling games on the market already. And to the majority, the Wii U just isn't viable. Nintendo needs to look at why. And I don't believe it's lack of great games. Because they have them. In spades. There are other reasons. I don't pretend to know all the answers. Just my opinion on a couple.

@Yorumi Go out to Best Buy and see how easily you can find a $399 PS4 and $499 XB1. They are becoming somewhat easier to find (especially XB1) but people ARE paying $150 to $250 more than the already discounted Wii U.

I am as much a fan of Nintendo as the rest of us here. But financially, the company will be facing very strong opposition from their board to continue support a system that is only selling in the 4 figures. It costs money to support and there MUST be a return to offset and improve their financial position to continue support. It's basic economics. I believe they will scuttle the Wii U shortly (as they did with the Virtual Boy), regroup and come up with the next platform. 2.5 million users is not close enough to justify the expense that they have invested.

Let's put it this way... when the CEO and Chief Game Designer in the company take 50% and 30% pay cuts because of the performance of their platform is tanking, that's not the final step in mitigating the company's loss. It's business. More is coming to stop the expenditure in a failing system financially. Again, I'm as big a fan as everyone here. But I see, from a practicality standpoint, a major change soon. And it's not as simple as getting better, more, bigger IP or dropping the price again. It will be drastic. Watch.

It makes me sad. Because I really love my Wii U. I love the tablet screen. And no, I don't think you can have the WiiU without the GamePad because without it, you simply have an under-powered Wii upgrade. The whole POINT of the Wii U and sacrifice on graphical fidelity was to introduce the GamePad and yet still be the lowest priced console. I fear, for the first time for me, that it may go the way of the Dreamcast. Purely from a financial perspective.

I still maintain, as I did in the beginning, that Nintendo should have gone with a higher fidelity graphics chipset AND the gamepad at a higher pricepoint. Sony and MS have proven time and time again that people WILL PAY higher prices for cutting edge tech. I can't blame Nintendo for skipping the cutting edge graphics because they hit a home run last time with the underpowered Wii. But I really think that was anomalous and they were marketing the system outside of the core market (non-gamers). With the Wii U, they made a conscious effort to market the system back at gamers and they should have upped the graphical fidelity at a higher price. People would have paid the price.

So, something that has been irritating me for a while... how are people notified of when new items hit the Club? It just seems like these things sell out immediately as soon as they hit the club store. People can't be watching the club store every day... ?? Is there some kind of notification that I'm missing?

@Damo Count me in on the hype train! I'm really excited for this "Pay-to-Play" (Sorry, I"ve played too many LA gigs...) version of a free-to-play game. There are SOOO many great iOS/Google Play games that would be amazing if the bean-counters left the developers alone to just make great game play experiences for their consumers. Spirit Stones is one that I was totally hooked on but have already dropped because newer games like SMB3DW and Zelda: ALBW give you everything you need to properly experience the game for one price. No egregious grinding required, limited game-play time limits or other constant IAPs required to get the most out of it. Sadly, those free-to-play games don't get much of a shake from me once the difficulty curve ramps up to the point where you HAVE to make in-game purchases. I'll stick to the traditional model of buying complete games. I truly believe these free-to-play games are a fad. Eventually the business models will circle back to traditional, albeit cheaper to develop games.

Wow... I have to say, I'm very surprised that this is going on for so long. I still have yet to download my LOZ:ALBW on my new Zelda 3DS. Patience is one thing. But asking someone to wait 3+ days for something they paid for is starting to push it. And it has nothing to do with entitlement. When you pay for something, no matter where you are in the world, you should expect to get what you paid for. I can still be patient but if this were for one of my kids, I'm not sure I would be so patient.

It's a perfect term. I'm sorry. And it exists for a reason. Did you WATCH the show?

Of course it is a generalization. And like all generalization, you'd be silly if you thought it applied to every single person in that group. But yes. I really do feel that people who enjoy Nintendo products are much more independent in their preferences and are far less subject to the "group think" that people who follow the other consoles. At least those people who are die hard devoted to their platform and not platform agnostic. All you have to do is read and observe.

And I'm not sure where you got anything having to do with "kiddie" in my post at all. I didn't mention one word of it. Maybe you are already predisposed to a type of group think?

Mr. Whitehead, I couldn't have said it better myself. The show was horrible. And everything that gaming doesn't need to be, yet tries so hard to. I've never seen so much chest thumping, fist bumping nonesense. I mean, it's not like we all don't throw our buds a bump here and there but this was sad. It was sad to see such a "pagent" of people trying so hard to be cool. Yet ultimately fall so far short in reality. I really felt for the devs too. They were like, this is who we're pouring our blood sweat and tears for.

I also was just utterly disgusted with the rap. I'm a rocker dude to begin with and can't stand rap. But this was another level of just... wrong. I know the difference between rap, hip hop, R&B very well. This brand of raw rap had no place playing to an audience as broad and diverse as gaming. Just because it's on the Web and not TV/Cable doesn't require you to fill it with the foul language. and the disharmony between the rap and band was just silly. Being a must an myself, it was hard to listen to. It hurt my ears.

I don't want to be negative. Because I hate the negativity too. It's just that this was simply not what gaming is to me either. And I naturally just avoid people who try too hard in general.

I couldn't agree more with this article. I think I could have a drink with you sir! Nice article.

@AugustusOxy I agree with you 100%. Cynicism IS a cancer. But it's being cultivated by way more far reaching outlets than G4. I've actually stopped subscribing to Gameinformer and the new EGM because of it. I just got so sick of reading negative views of any game that doesn't subscribe to the dude-bro (that's a perfect term) culture. Which means anything Nintendo is pretty much panned.

Let's face it, we're all geeks who love this hobby. Some dudes just feel like they have to try harder to compensate for their geekdom so chicks don't totally pass them over. little do they know playing games has nothing to do with it! LOL! That's why I love Nintendo and the following they cultivate. Theirs are by far more intelligent and, most importantly, independent thinkers who are comfortable in their own skins!

That image was superimposed onto a 3DS screen. The 3DS screen is in a bit of an isometric view, which means that the image of Contra III being transposed onto the screen has to be manipulated to match the angle of the screen. That edit was deliberate. It's not just a template someone put the wrong image onto. And yes, it does say WiiU in the bottom right-hand corner. But superimposing not only a 3DSXL, but a 3DSXL with Contra III running on it's screen on top of a Virtual Console Page for Wii U (3DS style no less) is pretty much 3 mistakes that would need to fall together.

I don't know what to make of it, but it seems to be deliberate and maybe setting the community up for some kind of surprise functionality coming soon.

I have to say that I have been thinking the exact same thing about the fidelity of the new offerings of Sony and MS. I am, first and foremost, a gamer. I am nobody's fanboy. And I can, at the same time say, that I have been leaning more towards my preference of Nintendo's products for a long time.

I too do not see a huge leap in visual quality from PS3 - PS4 and XB360 and XB1. I have written this recently. But this is the very first generation of consoles where I have not been an early adopter. I have all of the systems ever on the market, except for the XB1 and PS4. I simply don't see the value proposition. The launch titles, to me, don't compare to the Wii U's. The Wii U had something for everyone. I have said this from day one of Wii U. I actually thought it had the best launch lineup of games for any system since I have been following my favorite hobby in 1987. The Wii U had Mario, Zombi U, cross platform games like Assasin's Creed 3, Batman, etc. The launch had quality titles for everyone. Honestly, there are no games for XB1 or PS4 that I have to have.

Maybe it's because I'm getting older and practicality are starting to take over but I just didn't feel compelled to go out and buy the XB1 or PS4. Yes, I felt a twinge of guilt by not opening brand new tech on launch day. But that's me overcoming my gaming OCD! And I'm glad for it. I'm perfectly happy with my Wii U, 3DS and Steam games on my PC. I just don't see the leap from previous Sony / MS machines either.

How about Thunderblade? This game also featured the Super Scaler tech. And Super Monaco GP! And of course, need to have Rad mobile in 3D. Complete with the Sonic mirror danger hang in just inside your peripheral vision in 3D

Hey, speaking of delayed SMB3 releases and holidays... I can't think of a better present to all of Nintendo's loyal fans than a surprise release of SMB3 for Xmas! Yeah, I know, the world has a better chance of Britney Spears acquiring talent. But no harm in wishing, eh? Maybe Santa will look like a wise older Asian toy maker this year!

@unrandomsam My post was in response to a comment about porting to C64.

Yes, I'm sure that port could have been perfect. I never played it. So the point I was trying to make was that there is more effort needed when attempting a perfect port (like the Saturn too) than a port to 8Bit. Now add to that perfect port having to add 3D layers, timing, etc. And I can see why this port was the hardest.

@Windy Unfortunately, you seem to be correct about Nintendo's disinterest. Even though they outsourced the development to Arika, they still don't seem interested in pursuing it. You think there would have to be a reason like lack of sales vs. development costs. In all fairness, the selection for ports hasn't been 100%. OK, you have Kid Icarus and Kirby. But the others? Meh... As you said, maybe if these Sega remakes do well (I can't wait to see how well Sonic does), maybe Nintendo will focus on better, more classic games, to re-imagine. Maybe some Mario or Zelda? 16-Bit even?

@turbo409uk I would imagine that with 8-BIT ports, the porting process isn't as precise because there is no way they will make a perfect port. So the efforts expended aren't as costly. In other words, you don't need to bother trying for perfection when perfection is impossible.

Here, they are trying to make a perfect port. They even mentioned the PS2 version was a bear to make - especially emulating the (I would presume, arcade's analog) controls. Throw the new 3D layering infor the 3DS (each layer has to be identified and phase in / phase out mapped and timed) and I can totally see why this was the hardest to make.

@NES_64 I totally agree. And I'm so bummed that we haven't seen more Classic 3D remakes. That was one of the biggest things I was looking forward to out of the 3DS. The 8-Bit remakes were incredible. I've never been into 8-Bit retro as much as 16-Bit retro. But they made those 8-Bit graphics pop! I have been looking forward to some 16-Bit remakes... or even more 8-Bit remakes. The time and expense to develop these 3D remakes most likely has not justified making any more

@Windy Yeah, I think the Online series probably has the best chance. But the original series I - IV are the ones I'm wishing for. And specifically the remade Sega Ages ones kinda referred to in the article (well, they mentioned the "Sega Ages" series at least ) But those would take too much to translate for the sales, probably.

Heck, I'd be thrilled with just a 3D version of any straight ports of I - IV!

@QuickSilver88 Yeah, they can't drop the gamepad now. It's just not going to happen because then developers (1st, 2nd and 3rd) would then have the paradox and added development cost of developing for one, both or neither gaming configurations. That will drive 3rd parties further away. They need to stick with it.

I honestly think this question is pretty much moot at this point. This is the platform they developed and they need to support it. If anything, they're stuck with it because of the charactaristics of the hardware and platform. I also think that it's moot because the games are now starting to come out, they have a major hit with SM3D world (the highest rated among all new releases leading into Black Friday), they have 2 great new bundles (Wind Waker and SMBU) in stores competing against next gen machines that will be, for the most part, out of stock this holiday season and media that are starting to come around and changing their stance on the Wii U. I honestly think this Xmas season will be their break out. This is why I think asking this question is kind of senseless at this point.

@Mahe
The definition of evolution: "the gradual development of something, esp. from a simple to a more complex form."

So, by your own definition, the Wii U is "devolving" because it's getting more complex? Your comment sir, is an oxymoron.

Very simply, the gamepad only adds more options for control and viewing certain aspects of the game. It also offers the ability for the game to be played remotely on it's screen vs. the TV. A feature which, yet again, has been quickly copied by it's competitor - but yet is included in every box. Unlike the Vita/PS4 streaming offering.

Guys.... I'm not sure where you're going with this article. Or really the purpose. Nintendo made a decision to bring to market a value proposition around the concept of the gamepad. That was the major concept behind their next generation offering. Asking whether they should have released their next generation as just an HD upgrade is kind of pointless. That's not what they were after in the least bit. And if a simple HD upgrade was ever on the table in Kyoto, whomever proposed it got the major stink eye from Miyamoto. Releasing a new hardware platform without some kind of innovation for Nintendo these days is not what they do. Why even ponder the point?

The only thing I could say that they could have done differently, staying within their original product concept, was to give it more muscle in the graphics array, introduce the system at a slightly HIGHER price of $399 (which, BTW, PS4 and XB1 (+$100) is coming to market with) but compensate for the higher price with Mario U bundled.

I tend to agree with Iwata San that price is not the factor. He's right. Games are. But so is the value of an shiny, muscular machine and the backing of the media, which really turned their nose up to the system because they focused on the gamepad vs. upgrading the graphics ability. History has shown that people WILL PAY $399 to $499 for an experience that will blow them away. So charge $50 more and give the market a new innovation in gameplay via the gamepad, plus a shinier, sexier machine that the graphics lovers and media can dig their teeth into, a then give them GAMES! Bundle Mario U from the start. And you have a completely different launch.

But this is all hindsight. It's easy to sit back and say, "should'a, could'a, would'a". To be fair, look at what Nintendo did with the Wii. They scrapped the graphics upgrade for a lower price point and a brand new control method. Everyone, media, pundits, gamers panned on the system leading up to launch. I remember clearly. But look what happened? They presented a brand new innovation in game play and unlocked and tapped a brand new market segment. Then they followed up with incredible 1st party software (2 Mario Galaxies, NSMB, 3 Metroids, 2 Zeldas, Pikmin, SSB, etc.) and there you have an under-powered system that went gang buster. So how can you fault Nintendo for trying to repeat that formula? Everything else is 20/20 hindsight.